IN TUNE
by H.G. Stewart
Summary: Doc Appleby's Miracle Drug brings on a rather peculiar side effect.


"You sure it's such a good idea to go out this evenin'?" Uncle Jesse asked Bo as he bent down to look at his nephews who sat in the General Lee. "Kinda breezy out, might not do good fer that ear of yours ta git exposed to the elements."

"Aw Uncle Jesse it'll be fine. I just took that pill Doc Appleby gave me, and didn't he call it an ear infection wonder drug? You trust him don't ya?"

"Well, um, yeah. But ya ain't never took it before. Might cause ya to be drowsy or do crazy things or affect ya in ways you ain't used to."

"Don't worry Uncle Jesse. Doc said it'd wear off in a couple of hours. I'll baby sit him 'till then." Luke grinned, getting a smirk in response from the driver's seat.

"You do that. And don't be out too late. We got an early mornin' tomorrow." Jesse reminded them.

"Yes sir." Bo replied, gunning the engine and roaring away from the farm.

A bit into the trip, Luke was admiring the countryside from the passenger's side of the General Lee as a smile appeared on his face. "Tonight's gonna be fun ain't it Bo? I ain't seen a Clint Eastwood movie yet that I didn't like."

Bo looked at his cousin before he looked back toward the road and let out a hearty laugh.

"What's so funny?" Luke retorted a few seconds later.

"I think you forgot who you was talkin' to, cuz." Bo replied. "The Luke Duke I know don't invite a girl like Leslie Ann Nichols to a drive in because he wants to watch the show."

"Sure of yourself, ain't ya?" Luke asked with a grin on his face. "Well if you're right, I suppose you'll be around to tell me how it turns out, huh?"

"There you go, forgettin' who you're talkin' to again." Bo replied with a grin of his own. "'Cause the Bo Duke you know don't invite Leslie Ann's sister, June Marie, to a drive in to watch the show neither!"

_**Now ain't that just how you like to see the boys? Cuttin' up with each other and talkin' about girls as they take a leisurely ride in their beloved stock car, the General Lee.**_

"What was that?" Bo asked, frowning as he looked around him and even out the window up toward the sky.

"What was what? I didn't hear nothin'." Luke replied, looking around just the same although he had no idea what he was looking for.

"I dunno. Sorta funny, sounded like somebody was talkin'." Bo replied.

"I'm surprised you can hear anything with that infected ear." Luke replied.

"Well Doc seems to be right about that pill bein' a wonder drug. It's already clearin' up. Clearin' up real good as a matter of fact."

_**I sure am glad to hear that about Bo. I'd hate to see anything get in the way of June Ma…, I mean, the show.**_

"There it is again. That talkin'!" Bo exclaimed looking around a second time.

"Maybe the CB's messed up." Luke replied, grabbing the handle and jiggling the wire a bit.

"Oh never mind, it ain't important. Let's go on and pick up the girls, it's about time to anyway." Bo suggested as he pulled at his bad ear.

When Luke nodded in agreement, Bo sped cross country to the Nichols farm. Once they had greeted their dates and listen to Mr. Nichols' lengthy speech about the importance of getting his daughters home at a decent hour and the resulting consequences of failing to do so, the four young people climbed into the General Lee and set off for the Chickasaw Drive-In.

"Which road you think we should take Luke?" Bo asked.

"Take 225. That'll get us closer to the movie once we hit the county line." Luke advised just before Leslie Ann pulled him toward her and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Oh Luke, I've been at home just countin' the hours to our date!" She announced as she kissed him again.

"Well count another one! It ain't exactly fair for ya'll to get started 'fore we're able to." An annoyed Bo replied as he looked at June Marie who was smiling at him from the passenger's seat.

"We've both been countin', sugar." June Marie gushed. "All of our friends talk about their great dates with the Duke boys and we've been dying for our turn. We've heard endless stories from them about jumps in the General Lee, racin' across the countryside, swimmin' at Dixon Pond, havin' picnics, cuddlin' and, well……" She trailed off, with a giggle. "So tell me Bo, how'd you manage to get permission from Sheriff Rosco to go into Chicasaw County anyway? I mean, with your probation and everything."

"Well, we didn't." Bo chuckled, instinctively pressing down on the gas as Luke and Leslie Ann continued in the backseat while June Marie began to rub his arm. "But what he don't know won't hurt him. I mean, heck, even Rosco has got to have something better to do on a Saturday night besides lookin' out for probation violators."

_**Turns out ole' Rosco didn't have anything much better to do, 'cause it just so happened he was sittin' on the county line, lookin' out for speeders. Yep, them Duke boys was about thirty seconds away from a night of free room and board at the Hazzard County jail.**_

Bo then slammed on the brakes, sending his occupants scrambling for something to grab on to!

"Dang it Bo! What are you tryin' to do kill us?" Luke complained.

"I heard it again, Luke! Bo emphasized.

"Heard what?" Luke asked

"That voice." Bo whispered just loud enough for Luke to hear.

Luke smirked before he reached between the couple in the front seat and switched the C.B. off. "There. Now maybe whoever's tryin' to contact you from the great beyond will go on back to the beyond and stay there."

"What are you two talkin' about?" Leslie Ann asked as Bo continued down the highway.

"Nothin' important." Luke replied, going back to the activity they were sharing before Bo's abrupt stop.

"Nope, nothin' at all." Bo muttered as he turned left onto Pleasant Valley Rd just short of the county line.

"Where you goin', Bo? Chicasaw's that way!" Luke announced pointing in the direction that Bo had been going before the turn.

"Gonna take 411 instead." Bo replied. "Heard a rumor that Rosco had been watchin' for speeders near the county line on 225."

"Well you didn't say nothin' about that ten minutes ago when we started over that way!" Luke replied. "If we take 411 we'll be late for the movie!"

"And if we take 225 we might not make the movie at all!" Bo retorted.

Luke finally sat back and threw his hands up. "Whatever, cousin. Whether or not we catch the beginning, it ain't like I'm gonna miss out on any of the 'action'." He smiled, making sure Bo was watching in the rearview mirror as he turned to kiss Leslie Ann again.

In revenge, Bo sped down Pleasant Valley Rd making sure he hit ever decent sized pot hole he could find, sending the couple in the back seat bouncing and making the task of kissing virtually impossible.

"Wow. We've really missed out on a lot by not havin' a date with these boys, June Marie" Leslie Ann announced dryly, scooting away from Luke and crossing her arms.

"Bo watch the holes, will ya?" Luke said with some annoyance as he put his arm around Leslie Ann.

"Well which is it? You want me to hurry up and get there or watch the holes? 'Cause cousin, there's so many of 'em I can't do both!"

"Just get us there in one piece." Luke suggested.

"I know!" Leslie Ann perked up. "Isn't there a place you boys like to jump just ahead over Pleasant Valley Creek? I bet you could do that and we'd still get to the movie on time!"

"Oh!" June Marie squealed. "I've been dyin' to jump, Bo!"

"Well all right then!" Bo smiled, both he and Luke pleased to see that both girls were excited about the date once again. Turning the General in the direction of the ramp, Bo pressed on the gas in order to get the General up to speed to achieve the jump.

_**But the General needed perfect alignment to clear that jump, and that was gone since Bo had decided to hit all them big pot holes. Well, least them girls 'ill get to go swimmin'**_.

With a horrified expression, Bo slammed on the brakes again, and again the occupants were thrust forward.

"Dang it, what now?" Luke asked with unmistakable annoyance and a warning look as both girls crossed their arms that time.

"Um…." Bo trailed off. "A rabbit, didn't you see that rabbit up there? I'd a hit it if I'd kept goin'." He explained, banging on the CB and looking around.

"Since when did you ever care if you hit a rabbit?" Luke asked.

"Well since, the girls are here, of course. What would they have though if I'd killed an innocent rabbit?"

"I'd a thought you could have took it home so your Uncle Jesse could make some rabbit stew!" Leslie Ann replied to which June Marie nodded.

Just get him back on the road and go on to the movie!" Luke instructed.

Backing up, Bo went back to Pleasant Valley Road and continued on until he reached 411. Crossing over the County line, he was relieved to make it to the drive in without further incident, but thoughts of the situation made him act in a way that was totally out of character for him. He was so lost in concentration that he practically ignored June Marie.

Once they had paid to enter the drive in, Bo brought the General to a stop and he and Luke climbed out. "What would you ladies like to eat?" Luke asked.

"Just a small bag of popcorn and a drink for me." June Marie replied.

"What about you darlin'?" Luke asked Leslie Ann.

"Oh, just a drink for now, and maybe a little dessert later." Leslie Ann replied with a devilish smile.

A few minutes later, the boys were making there way back to the car. "Listen Bo." Luke began as Bo was munching on popcorn. "General's all yours. I'm gonna take Leslie Ann to check out the old reel room. She's a classics buff."

_**Ole' Luke ain't foolin' nobody. There's a difference between watchin' the classics and lookin' at dusty film reels.**_

Bo put his hand out to stop Luke as he looked around.

"Don't tell me you're hearin' that voice again." Luke scolded him.

"Luke I'm tellin' ya, it's kinda eerie. That voice seems to just pop outta no where………like somebody's watchin' us." Bo replied before shaking off a shudder.

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause of what it talks about. I'm gettin' to where I can hear it more clear."

"Bo, I think that medicine's playin' with your head. Now c'mon, we're on a date with the Nichols' sisters. Can't you overlook it?"

"No Luke, it's like…..it knows things that are gonna happen to us. Like just now it more or less said you wadn't goin' into the reel room to look at no old reels. It's like it was suggestin' you's goin' to make out."

"Oh and it'd take a genius to figure that out, wouldn't it?" Luke shook his head.

"I'm tellin' ya Luke, makes a feller not even wanna answer nature's call." Bo admitted.

"Just forget about it. Listen, I'm gonna get Leslie Ann. Now June Marie ain't half bad, I'm sure she can keep your mind off of whatever it is you think you're hearin'."

With a couple of pats on Bo's shoulder, Luke invited Leslie Ann on a walk and the girl climbed out of the General Lee, leaving June Marie and Bo together in the car.

The movie had already been playing for some time, but Bo reached for the speaker and turned it all the way up in an effort to block out the mysterious voice.

"Bo! You're making me deaf!" June Marie shouted out.

"Sorry." Bo muttered as he returned the sound to normal and offering her a grin. "I'm sorry. Looks like we missed the beginning of the show."

"Well now." She then said, putting down the popcorn and drink and leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes. "Looks like we'll just have to begin a show of our own then."

When she didn't get a response, she opened her eyes to see Bo looking out the window toward the sky then in the backseat.

"BO!"

"Huh?"

Annoyed, she returned the seat to an upright position. "You ain't the same Bo Duke my friends told me about! You aren't paying a bit of attention to me. What's wrong? Don't you think I'm pretty?"

"Well yeah, of course."

"This kiss me already." She said with insistence.

Bo hesitated as he looked around. As June Marie reached for him from the passenger's seat, he finally bent over and, putting on his most charming smile, gave her the kiss she had been waiting on.

_**They make a right cute couple, don't they?**_

Immediately Bo ended the kiss and practically jumped back in the passenger's seat before looking around wildly once again.

"Bo Duke what's the matter with you?!"

"Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Somebody's talkin'…….about me!"

Heaving a sigh, she hoisted herself out of the General Lee. "I hear your message, that's for sure. I'm going to the seating area." She announced, trudging off.

"But June Marie, I……"

"'Least Leslie Ann's and Luke's havin' a good time, I suppose." June Marie muttered.

**_Well ole Luke was havin' a good time, but that was all about to change. 'Cause it just so happened that Leslie Ann's jealous ex-boyfriend, Bubba, heard tale that Luke had took her to the Drive-In, and he was on his way there with a load of buckshot 'nd madder than two cats with their tails tied together hung over a wash line._**

Immediately Bo ran for the reel room and threw open the door. Startled, Luke and Leslie Ann pulled apart.

"Dang it Bo, we thought you's management!" Luke announced.

"That's the least of your worries, cuz. Bubba's on his way here…….and he's mad!"

"Bubba? Who in the heck is Bubba?" Luke asked.

"He does love me!" Leslie Ann squealed with delight, clasping her hands together and twirling. "Where's June Marie? I've gotta tell her that my plan to make him jealous worked!"

"You mean he's your boyfriend?" Luke asked.

"Yeah and he's got a rifle! We'd better skedaddle Luke before we end up pickin' buckshot out of our behinds."

"Right." Luke replied, running out of the reel room and over to the General Lee. Climbing inside, Luke looked around. "What happened to June Marie?"

Bo shook his head. "Looks like it was the last date for both of us."

"Well thanks for the save back there. How'd you know this Bubba was on the way anyhow?"

Bo paused before he finally admitted "That voice told me."

"Bo!" Luke shook his head. "You mean you broke up our little party back there because of a drug induced hallucination? I don't know whether to smack some sense back into yer head before I go back to Leslie Ann or to take you home to Uncle Jesse 'fore you end up in a straight jacket."

"I ain't hallucinatin' Luke! How would I imagine that she had a boyfriend named Bubba?"

"Well I don't see him around."

About then, a pickup truck came roarin' in the parking lot and out jumped a burly young man in overalls. Setting his sites on the General Lee, he marched over. "I'm lookin' for a Luke Duke. You Luke?"

"Who wants to know?" Luke asked, although he already had a feeling he knew.

"Bubba Martin. Now I heard you's out here messin' with my girl and now I've come to mess with YOU!"

Luke looked at Bo. "Well unless this is about the ugliest girl in the Tri-County area, I don't see no girls in here to be messed with. Do you?"

Bubba glared in the back seat before he looked at the boys again. "Well…………..there better not be!" He exclaimed.

"Bubba Martin, what are you doin' here?" Leslie Ann appeared and asked, crossing her arms.

"I heard you's here with some feller." Bubba replied.

"Well I'm surprised that concerned you, seein' how you've always ignored me before." Leslie Ann argued.

"I'm pretty sure Leslie Ann and June Marie 'ill end up with a ride outta here, so lets go, Bo." Luke advised, pointing ahead. The boys slowly inched away while the lovers' quarrel continued.

"I'm tellin' ya Luke, I don't understand what's goin' on, but you woulda been in a whole heap of trouble back there if it hadn't been for this hallucination, as you called it."

"You probably overheard something at the Boar's Nest and didn't realize it. I'm tellin' ya Bo, ain't no way nobody's watchin' us."

"Well there's one way we can find out for sure." Bo argued. "I'm gonna let go of this steerin' wheel and the General's gonna drift one way or the other. That's the reason I didn't jump that creek. The voice told me it's outta alignment."

With that, Bo let go of the steering wheel and sure enough, the General drifted to the right.

"You could have felt that in the steering, Bo." Luke argued.

Bo sighed. "I ain't arguin' with you no more Luke Duke!" Either you believe me or you don't, I ain't got no way of provin' it."

The duo remained silent for a few moments before Bo began looking around wildly once again. "Oh no." He muttered.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Never mind. You ain't interested in what I hear." Bo replied. Switching on the CB again, he brought the handle to his mouth. "This is Bo Duke callin' Sheriff Rosco."

"Whatcha callin' Rosco for?" Luke asked.

"I told ya never mind." Bo shot back. When Rosco came on the line he replied. "Rosco, you got no right puttin' my Uncle Jesse in jail for going 3 miles an hour over the speed limit. What makes you think you got tha right to treat people that way?"

Luke almost laughed before Rosco replied with his justifications of arresting Jesse.

Looking toward Bo in astonishment he then asked. "How'd you know Jesse was arrested?"

Bo gave a slight shake of his head. "I dunno cuz, maybe you're right. Mmaybe this drug's just makin' me recall things I overheard better, or maybe its just puttin' me in tune with my gut feelings. I hope that's what it is, anyway. Can you imagine how life would be for us for somebody to be watchin' us all the time………….., to be talkin' about the things we're doing………. or things that are gonna happen to us?"

"It wouldn't be too good, that's for sure." Luke replied, thinking about the things he did in which he'd rather not have a personal spectator. "You, um, gettin' any other feelin's about Jesse?"

Bo concentrated but the only thing his ear offered was another twinge of pain. "Guess my medicine 's wore off."

"Well the doc said two hours." Luke reminded him. "You're ear hurtin' again?"

"A little." Bo admitted.

"Wanna stop by the Doc's and get another pill?" Luke asked.

Bo looked at his cousin a moment before he shook his head. "I don't think so." He replied, turning the wheel in the direction of the jail, where they would work on getting Jesse bailed out.

_**I reckon it's alright for me to say THE END now, ain't it?**_


End file.
